Black As the Blood In Our Names

By TimeAndLife21


Chapter 1

Death is a strange way to end. Many would die and move onto the next life, other believed that it was just that. The end. Everyone dies someday, whether it been the day you were born, or by some accident, sickness, killed, or even old age.

Regulus welcomed his coming death. He knew he would die by going after that horcrux. He remembered begging, at the house elf that had been by his side since childhood, Kreacher, for water.

"Master must keep drinking." Kreacher's pained voice broke through his pain filled memories.

He couldn't keep it up. He just wanted water now. The burning was unbearable, the thirst was overwhelming. To the point where he would gladly drift into unconsciousness if that was an option. But deep in the back of his mind, that spark of sanity was telling him that it was necessary, even it ends in his death.

The memories...Oh god the memories! So many flashed before his eyes. Regrets, guilt, sorrow, and pain. Everything hurts. His nerves felt as if he was being struck by the cruciatus curse and doused in hot and cold water. His bones felt as if he was being broken, and through sheer will, he was on his knees.

The relief he felt when Kreacher yelled that he has the dark Item finally, and replaced it with the fake, it was short lived. He managed to croak out words, a last order for Kreacher.

"Destroy it Kreacher...do whatever it takes… and leave." He told his friend as he started to crawl towards the water.

"Master Regulus, you mustn't go to the water!" Kreacher tried to pull Regulus away from the water, only for it to be too late.

Inferi surged forward the moment the water was disturbed. His fear increased as he fought to fall back, but it was no use. He turned in time and through his potion induced pain, he roared at Kreacher to leave him. To save the House elf that stayed with him to the end.

He felt the clawed hands of the inferi wrap around his throat, his arms, his legs, every part of his body had been grabbed, and he was dragged into the dark waters. The light of the cave becoming farther and farther away as he was dragged beneath the surface.

Down deeper and deeper into the darkness below.

The dark potion still had effects of his mind, he knew he was drowning, he felt the water enter his mouth and nose, it was a painful burning, but not as painful as he listened to the harsh whispers of his mind.

"Did you seek to have redemption Regulus Arcturus Black?"

"You've already had blood on your hands, what makes you think you deserve it?"

"You call this a noble sacrifice? Ha! You can never erase the darkness in your soul!"

"Your foolishness to turn against the Dark Lord has failed. You will never have what you seek."

The harshness of such whispers kept coming at him. His so called noble sacrifice will never be heard of. Never to see the light of day. It hurt to the depths of his soul that he would never see his brother again. He would never see his family, or at least what has been left of them.

The Inferi tore at his body, blood coming out of his gaping wounds, his neck slashed, and his last thoughts...

"I'm so sorry, Sirius...I never wanted to end like this."

Darkness finally overcame him and he welcomed the relief of death finally.


He didn't feel pain now.

He opened his eyes.

This was strange. Shouldn't he be in some sort of Hell? He could remember some muggleborns depicting Hell to be a rather terrible place, but this didn't seem like it.

Everything was white...but he was in his family's grand living room of 12 Grimmauld place. But everything was lighter, brighter, and he was comfortable. Was it all a dream? No… he was definitely dead.

At the same time, he felt such relief. As if finally, all the burdens he had, all the regret he carried, all the shame, the sorrow, and the anger...suddenly gone. He should be happy that he was dead, but why didn't it feel like a triumph? Why did it feel like such a loss that ate away at him?

He closed his silver eyes and cleared his mind, and the first thing that he remembered was an early memory. A memory of his brother and himself.

"We're brothers Siri. We stick together right?" He looked up at the messy haired boy who was with him in the Family Gardens.

"Yeah, Reggie, we will always stick together. Through thick and thin!" The boy responded with a bright smile and gleaming silver eyes that mirrored his own.

The sorrow ate away at Regulus now. He had wished to see his brother one last time before he died...but even he knew that it was too dangerous. So he never saw any of his family members before he left.

His thought process changed.

They say you would feel safe and comforted after you die. But Regulus hasn't been feeling such comfort. He walked around the bright place that was a copy of Grimmauld place. He looked to the wall where the Black Family Tapestry hung.

So many deaths, even extended family members have meet untimely deaths in this war and he was not exempt. But the family Tapestry seemed to extend past Phineas Nigellus Black. That was odd. He looked up and saw that the tapestry was longer and taller than he was and extended to the high ceilings. Strange…

"Welcome, Regulus Arcturus Black." A feminine voice spoke.

He turned around suddenly and saw a cloaked figure. It stood out against the brightness of the Living room, wearing a black cloak and the hood hiding it's face. It had its arms crossed and it walked towards him. Funnily enough, he didn't feel fear.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I am no one important really, just someone who hopes that things can change for the better, i suppose." She responded as she reached for the hood of her cloak.

She whisked it off and Regulus found himself stunned for a moment.

Everything about the woman stood out from the bright room. She looked like an young woman. Plain and simple. Her hair was long, straight, and grey, and her skin was pale and seemed to glow despite the room being just as white. There was no emotion on her face. As if she was wearing a mask. Her eyes was pitch black and seemed to hold depths of wisdom and intelligence, as well as age beyond his years.

Just who was she?

"Are you Death?" He asked.

"I am not. Death is currently busy. Dreadfully so since he had culled your soul and brought it here." She responded blandly.

He closed his eyes as she came close, before he opened his eyes again. He looked up, seeing that she was taller than him by a foot. She was rather intimidating., but he didn't let it show. He was a Black after all.

"What should I call you?" He asked curiously.

She tilted her head, like a curious bird, eyes unblinking and staring into his very soul.

"I am of no great importance...only to take you back to the world of the living. Due to some circumstances." She responded, blinking slowly.

"Circumstances?" He asked confused.

Back to the world of the Living? What does she mean by that?

"Yes...It would seem you have regret and guilt in your soul. It has followed you to here." She responded.

A silence went between them and he looked down at himself. The woman was right. He carried such guilt and regret that it felt like an aching inside his heart. He reached up to where his non-beating heart was and gripped his chest.

"Yes." He spoke softly.

He wished he had the chance to change things. He wished that he kept his brotherhood with Sirius. He wish he could have stopped Bellatrix's descent into the Madness, Andromeda's disownment, Narcissa's trauma, his family's extinction… But he was a young boy. Barely of age, and still he did the work of Tom Marvolo Riddle. Sure, he learned much of the Dark Arts along with much of his family's teachings and schoolings.

But the murders and raids and dark things that he has done far outweighed the lives he had saved when he found out about the lies and deception of Tom Marvolo Riddle, or what he prefers to go by Lord Voldemort. He wished he had never allowed his parents to influence his decision to join the ranks of the Dark lord. He wished he could have changed something, but you cannot change the past. No matter how hard you try.

But here this woman was saying that he would be returning to the Land of the Living, but why?

"I don't understand. Why am I dead, yet you would send me back? Wouldn't I become…" He trailed off.

He looked up at her and waited. He didn't speak, he didn't move. Just waited patiently for her to speak.

"Tell me Regulus Arcturus Black… What would you do if you were given a second chance?" She asked him as she turned towards him with interest.

A second chance? Gods, the Possibilities! The knowledge of the Horcruxes, the mass deaths could be averted...his mind went into overdrive. He could stop his family from descending into madness...he would do anything, ANYTHING, to change things. But most of all...

He wanted Sirius to be his brother again. He wanted nothing more than to have his broken family fixed and strong in the face of adversary.

The Ancient And Noble House of Black has been falling to extinction. He would work to bring back prestige and power to their house.

He would save lives. PureBlood, Half-Blood, and Muggleborn. He doesn't want to see the world fall to a madman who claims that he cares for the Pureblood elitism in society.

"I would do anything...anything to change what has happened. If I was given the chance to live again." He closed his eyes and thought of his family.

He opened them up and looked at the woman. Her eyes seem to glitter with something. He couldn't pin it down. He wondered what she was thinking. She turned to him, and waved her hand. An immaculate wand materialized into existence, and she grabbed it gently. It had a ebony handle, the rest of the wand was straight and it seemed to gleam dangerously.

"What...are you doing?" He asked hesitantly, looking from the wand to the woman.

She pointed the wand at him, making him rather nervous.

"I will send you back to the world of the living, Regulus Arcturus Black, but a great price shall be paid." Her eyes began to turn from black to glowing white, a wind suddenly swept into the room and her black cloak grew to engulf the woman.

It made her frightening and beautiful at the same time.

"A price? What price?" He took a step back, wondering just what the entity was planning on doing.

"Your time has come and passed, your life will never be the same. O Son of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, reclaim what once was yours and your family's and your allies. Bring those who became lost, outcasted, broken, and branded back to the fold and stand tall against your adversaries." She spoke with such conviction, such emotion, the words echoing through his mind, the words searing into his soul. "I will await what you may change, will the world be saved...or ravaged to the ground?"

She raised her wand upward and chanted a language long forgotten by ancient druids.

He couldn't move. This awesome power swirled around him, and he felt pain shoot through his body. It was as if he was being shocked by thousands of lightning storms. He couldn't scream, he couldn't move. He felt something searing onto his left arm and it connected to his heart. The wand, too, glowed suddenly and turned into particles rushing towards him, surrounding him.

"Magic favors the Noble, Regulus Arcturus Black." She suddenly smiled.

It was a gentle smile regardless of the power that swirled around them like a typhoon. She looked benevolent and powerful, and he was in awe of this power. Time seemed to slow down, the brightness of the room he was in was suddenly growing darker. The particles turned into tendrils of light that surrounded him and he felt himself falling backwards into the darkness.


TAL21: Here is the beginning of the Rewrite. You will come to find that some things have changed and others not so much. I actually do have a plan for the rewrite this time, and trust me when I say that major changes will happen and that I'm determined to see things through this time. I will be leaving up the Original until I get caught up once more. The woman here has a purpose, if you can take a guess of just what is, you might get a cookie. She won't show up frequently, but she is important. :) I hope that you will be pleased by the re-write. The next chapter will come next week. This rewrite will be more centered around the Black family and it's extended members, (Including Harry, Draco, Neville, and other members that may have Black Blood in their lines or at least close to them.) and it will be fun to finally just write them a bit more rather than focus so much on my ocs. Oh they will also have a place in the story, just not as majorly so. And Yes, the parings that I have made in the previous story, will be the same for this one. :) But again, things will be a lot different.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you in the new chapter! :)

KEEP ON READING AND WRITING!